Higher or Lower Poker Game

ABSTRACT

Embodiments described herein include variations of an electronic video poker game that feature allowing a player to make a wager and view one of three dealt cards. The other two dealt cards are face down. Before the bet is made, the player is presented with the payout tables. When the player makes a bet, the three cards are dealt to the player, and one card is face up. The player then chooses whether the next card is higher or lower than the last face up card. The player continues this process until either all cards are revealed or the player chooses incorrectly. When this part of the game is completed, the cards which make up the rest of the hand are then revealed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/068,638, titled “Higher or lower poker”, filed Mar. 10, 2008, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein are related to electronic video card games.

BACKGROUND

Electronic card games have been available to be played on screens in venues such as casinos. Various card games, such as poker and solitaire are popular electronic video card games. It is desirable to present players with new electronic card games that include aspects of games already know to players and new variations on those games.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a video poker screen showing a payout table and an initial deal after a player has placed a bet according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is diagram of a video poker screen as it appears after the player has made an initial, correct “higher or lower” choice according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a video poker screen showing all hands bet after the completion of a game according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a video poker screen as it appears before the start of a game in which the player has chosen to play three hands according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic gaming system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an electronic gaming system according to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments described herein include variations of an electronic video poker game that feature allowing a player to make a wager and view one of three dealt cards. The other two dealt cards are face down. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a video poker screen showing payout tables 100 and an initial deal after a player has placed a bet according to an embodiment. Before the bet is made, the player is presented with the payout tables 100. The player makes a bet 101. Three cards are dealt to the player, and one card 102 is face up. In this case the face up card is a 4 of diamonds. The player then chooses whether the next card is higher or lower than the last face up card. The player continues this process until either all cards are revealed or the player chooses incorrectly. When this part of the game is completed, the cards which make up the rest of the hand are then revealed. The player is rewarded various prizes based on traditional poker hand rankings, such as High Card up to Royal Flush. The example shown in the figure shows pay schedule that returns approximately 107%. In other embodiments, the schedule can be modified to attain a variety of return percentages.

FIG. 2 is diagram of a video poker screen as it appears after the player has made an initial, correct “higher or lower” choice according to an embodiment. The player elects a higher 103 or lower 104 card from the last preceding card 105.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a video poker screen showing all hands bet after the completion of a game according to an embodiment. After the three cards have been revealed or if the player has incorrectly chosen higher or lower 106, the player is shown each hand they bet. All cards revealed during the Higher/Lower portion of the game are then added to the 4 card hands on the right side of the screen. The player is paid based on the poker hand rating 107.

Players have the option to play multiple hands. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a video poker screen as it appears before the start of a game in which the player has chosen to play three hands 108 according to an embodiment.

The method as described herein can be applied to any poker game format used for video poker including, but not limited to, Draw Poker, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, Double Double Bonus Poker, Triple Bonus Poker, Super Bonus Poker and the like. Each of these poker format would use a standard deck of fifty-two playing cards. It is also possible to practice the method of the present invention in poker game formats that include wild cards such as Deuces Wild, and One-Eyed Jacks Wild. Additional wild cards, such as one or more Jokers, may be added to the conventional fifty-two card deck to allow the method of the present invention to be played in poker game formats such as Jokers Wild, Deuces Joker Wild and so on.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic gaming system 900 according to an embodiment. System 900 includes a server 902 that hosts and serves the electronic video poker game as described herein. The server 902 can include any known data servers, storage devices and/or processors capable of communicating via a network. The server 902 is coupled to a network 904 that can be a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), the Internet, or any other network via which the electronic video game data can be efficiently transferred.

Various venues 906, 908, and 910 are coupled to the network 904 for receiving the electronic video poker game from the server 902. Each of the venues 906, 908, and 910 include video poker machines. The video poker machines include display device or monitors that display the game as shown in FIGS. 1-4. The video poker machines also include a processor as known in the art. The video poker machines also include input and output devices for receiving input from a player and generating appropriate output. For example, input devices include buttons for the player to push, and a touch screen the player can touch to select and/or move items displayed. Output devices include the monitor and speakers for outputting auditory information and sound effects.

Venue 906 includes machines 912A and 912B through 912N. Venue 908 includes machines 914A and 914B through 914N. Venue 910 includes machines 916A and 916B through 916N.

One or more of the venues 906, 908, and 910 can be casinos licensed to accept wagers and pay bets. Alternatively, one or more of the venues 906, 908, and 910 can be private homes that purchase the electronic video poker game and play the game privately. In yet another alternative, one or more of the venues 906, 908 and 910 are establishments that provide the electronic video poker game to patrons who do not wager real money when playing the game. Other alternatives are possible.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an electronic gaming system 1000 according to another embodiment. System 1000 includes venues 1002, 1004 and 1006. Each of the venues 1002, 1004 and 1006 include a server that stores and serves the electronic video poker game as described herein. Each of the venues 1002, 1004 and 1006 further include video poker machines that display the game as shown in FIGS. 1-4. Venue 1002 includes server 1008 and machines 1010A and 1010B through 1010N. Venue 1004 includes server 1012 and machines 1014A and 1014B through 1014N. Venue 1006 includes server 1018 and machines 1018A and 1018B through 1018N.

Further variations on the system configurations shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are also within the scope of the claimed invention.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.

The above description of illustrated embodiments of the systems and methods is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the systems and methods to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the systems components and methods are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the systems, components and methods, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The teachings of the systems and methods provided herein can be applied to other systems and methods for video card games, not only for the systems and methods described above.

The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the systems and methods in light of the above detailed description.

In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the systems and methods to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all systems and methods that operate under the claims. Accordingly, the systems and methods are not limited by the disclosure, but instead the scope of the systems and methods is to be determined entirely by the claims.

While certain aspects of the systems and methods are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the systems and methods in any number of claim forms. For example, while only one aspect of the systems and methods may be recited as embodied in machine-readable medium, other aspects may likewise be embodied in machine-readable medium. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the systems and methods. 

1. A method of playing a card game, the method comprising: presenting a player with series of cards, including a first face up card; and receiving a player input indicating whether a next card to be turned face up will have a higher value or a lower value than the first face up card.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: turning up the next card; and if the player input is correct, receiving a subsequent player input indicating whether a subsequent card to be turned face up will have a higher value or a lower value than the next card.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising revealing at least one card from at least one group to complete a hand, wherein the group is separate from the series of cards, and wherein the hand is comprises of any face up cards from the series of cards, and wherein revealing occurs if either the player input is incorrect, or there are no more cards in the series.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: evaluating the hand; and paying the player based on a predetermined payout table that states what the hand is worth.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the player chooses to play more than one hand, wherein revealing comprises revealing more than one group, and wherein evaluating comprises evaluating each hand made up of a group and the face up cards of the series.
 6. The method of claim 3, further comprising awarding bonuses to the player for achieving predetermined goals selected from a group comprising: successfully picking a row of cards, successfully picking a group of cards, and, successfully picking a deck of cards.
 7. An electronic video card game system, comprising: a plurality of video poker machines each of which comprises, at least one out put device comprising a monitor configurable to display a video card game; and and at least one input device; and a server configurable to store instructions comprising a video card game, wherein the server communicates with the plurality of video poker machines via at least one network, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the video card game to be played on the plurality of video poker machines, the video card game comprising, presenting a player with series of cards, including a first face up card; receiving a player input indicating whether a next card to be turned face up will have a higher value or a lower value than the first face up card; turning up the next card; and if the player input is correct, receiving a subsequent player input indicating whether a subsequent card to be turned face up will have a higher value or a lower value than the next card.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of video poker machines is distributed among a plurality of venues.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the server and the plurality of video poker machines is located at a venue.
 10. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor cause a video poker method to be performed, the method comprising: presenting a player with series of cards, including a first face up card; and receiving a player input indicating whether a next card to be turned face up will have a higher value or a lower value than the first face up card.
 11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: turning up the next card; and if the player input is correct, receiving a subsequent player input indicating whether a subsequent card to be turned face up will have a higher value or a lower value than the next card.
 12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises revealing at least one card from at least one group to complete a hand, wherein the group is separate from the series of cards, and wherein the hand is comprises of any face up cards from the series of cards, and wherein revealing occurs if either the player input is incorrect, or there are no more cards in the series.
 13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: evaluating the hand; and paying the player based on a predetermined payout table that states what the hand is worth.
 14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the player chooses to play more than one hand, wherein revealing comprises revealing more than one group, and wherein evaluating comprises evaluating each hand made up of a group and the face up cards of the series.
 15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises awarding bonuses to the player for achieving predetermined goals selected from a group comprising: successfully picking a row of cards, successfully picking a group of cards, and, successfully picking a deck of cards. 